Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  

Author Topic: Leader length  (Read 2507 times)

Adamski76

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 15
Leader length
« on: October 13, 2019, 07:57:48 PM »

Does the leader length matter when short floating a jig or roe under your float?
Logged

Rodney

  • Administrator
  • Old Timer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 14761
  • Where's my strike indicator?
    • Fishing with Rod
Re: Leader length
« Reply #1 on: October 13, 2019, 08:08:48 PM »

Keep it short. I like to keep mine at 1.5ft long. Roe is more buoyant than your weight, so it has a tendency to float up and drift ahead of the weight. There is a delay between when the fish bites and your float going down as the weight needs to drift past first until the line tightens. The longer your leader is, the longer that delay is. This becomes more critical when coho salmon are biting lightly in slow water, which is pretty common and you'd end up missing a lot of bites.

For jigs, I use a slightly longer leader, maybe 2ft. The float depth is shortened when a jig is used, since it's weighted and will stay down unlike a baited hook which floats up a bit.

Adamski76

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 15
Re: Leader length
« Reply #2 on: October 13, 2019, 08:11:56 PM »

Thanks Rodney, I was doing it the posit way and missing a lot of strikes today. Was wondering why I couldn’t set the hook.
Logged

dave c

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 473
Re: Leader length
« Reply #3 on: October 14, 2019, 05:34:49 AM »

Keep it short. I like to keep mine at 1.5ft long. Roe is more buoyant than your weight, so it has a tendency to float up and drift ahead of the weight. There is a delay between when the fish bites and your float going down as the weight needs to drift past first until the line tightens. The longer your leader is, the longer that delay is. This becomes more critical when coho salmon are biting lightly in slow water, which is pretty common and you'd end up missing a lot of bites.

For jigs, I use a slightly longer leader, maybe 2ft. The float depth is shortened when a jig is used, since it's weighted and will stay down unlike a baited hook which floats up a bit.
x2. I will often add 1 splitshot about 8" above hook to minimize roe floating.  Seems to work for me
Logged

243Pete

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 278
Re: Leader length
« Reply #4 on: October 14, 2019, 08:35:42 PM »

x2. I will often add 1 splitshot about 8" above hook to minimize roe floating.  Seems to work for me

Hmm.. that sounds like a good idea! will have to steal that next time.
Sometimes I'll add a Heavi bead about 3-4 inches above my hook to help weigh down my bait especially when using really small chunks of roe so it sits more vertically, plus it sometimes adds a bit of color and variation to a presentation. I just can't seem to find any tackle shop locally which carries the smaller 6mm Heavi beads anymore, I can find the 10mm and and such but no small stuff.
Logged